The Godfather

1. In class we discussed the Hollywood Renaissance and how after WWII Hollywood started to look at foreign films. Foreign films were better and more realistic. Foreign films dealt with real issues and problems and the American public grew an interest for them after the war. These new films were characterized by anti-heroes, explicit violence and sex, raw social themes, and expressionistic filmmaking. We talked about Post-War Realism and The Bicycle Thief by Italian director Vittorio deSica. We also talked about the foreign influence of some films like Ingmar Bergman's Wild Strawberries and The Seventh Seal which influenced Woody Allen's films. We also talked about many American Directors and their new films during that time. We also discussed how the new films were directed towards younger audiences such as college students. We also discussed CARA and the new ratings for films such as G, PG, PG-13. R, and NC-17. We then discussed The Godfather. We talked about Francis Ford Coppola and his talented family. We also discussed the Awards The Godfather won such as Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Adapted Screenplay. We discussed the many talented actors in The Godfather such as Marlon Brando, the star of the movie. The theme of the movie being family and family values is another thing we discussed. We also discussed the many famous quotes from the movie such as "I'll make him an offer he can't refuse."


2. http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/443184/The-Godfather/articles.html#00
In the article I found written by Paul Tatara, Tatara talked highly about The Godfather. He explained how great of an American film it was, how the film had a lot of great moments in it, how amazing Francis Ford Coppola did directing it, and how amazing the actors performances were. Tatara explained how Coppola directed the movie for all the wrong reasons. He owed Warner Brothers $300,000 and took Paramount's offer for the money. The article also explained how Paramount executives refused to hire the two actors Coppola wanted most for the film, Brando and Pacino. The article explained how Coppola worked hard fighting for Paramount to hire Brando and Pacino. The article also explained how Coppola ran into a lot of problems while filming the movie and hoe Paramount almost fired him.

3. After reading the article I felt surprised that Paramount didn't want to hire Brando and Pacino. Those were my two favorite characters in the film and if they weren't in it the film wouldn't be as good. I was also surprised on why Coppola took the job. I was also surprised that Coppola ran into a lot of trouble while making the film however it came out to be one of the greatest films ever made. I was also shocked on how highly Tatara talked about The Godfather in his article. That further proves how great an effect The Godfather has on people. It truly is a great film.

4. My opinion on The Godfather is that it is a really great film. It's one of my all time favorites and I've seen it many times. It is also such an important film in film history. The Godfather is considered one of the greatest films ever made. It ranks #2 on AFI's list. The film was also nominated for 11 Oscars and won 3 Oscars which were Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Adapted Screenplay. Marlon Brando won an Oscar for his performance and it is probably the greatest performance of all time. Francis Ford Coppola also did a fantastic job in directing the film. The film also presents a great example of family and it's values. The Godfather truly is a masterpiece.

  

The Graduate

1. In class we talked about The Graduate. The film was released in 1967 and was directed by Mike Nichols. Mike Nichols is one of 12 people to win all the major American entertainment awards, Oscar, Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Award. He also received the Lifetime Achievement Award from AFI in 2010. Mike Nichols won the Oscar for Best Director for The Graduate. He is also married to ABC anchor, Diane Sawyer. The Graduate was written by Buck Henry and Calder Willingham. The film grossed $40 million in the box office. We also discussed the Academy Awards the film was nominated for and won. The Graduate was nominated for 8 Oscars such as: Best picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Supporting Actress. The film won the Academy Award for Best Director. We then discussed Dustin Hoffman's career and all the Oscars he won and was nominated for. Hoffman won the Oscar for Best Actor in Kramer vs. Kramer and Best Actor for Rain Man which was his best performance. He was also nominated for The Graduate, Lenny, Tootsie, Wag the Dog, and Midnight Cowboy. We also talked about Anne Bancroft. She won the Oscar for Best Actress for The Miracle Worker. We also discussed Katharine Ross and her other memorable roles in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and Stepford Wives. We discussed how The Graduate was one of the first youth rebellion films. It also asked the question, "what to do after graduation?" The film consisted of obvious camera shots and cutting. It used the awareness of film as intrusive art. The film also had overlapping sound and dialogue and overlapping action. We also discussed that the soundtrack of the film was performed by Simon and Garfunkel.

2. http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/18530/The-Graduate/articles.html#06
I found an article written by Rob Nixon titled "Why The Graduate is Essential. The article discusses how The Graduate is still an iconic film in pop culture having been released more then 40 years ago. The article discussed how the film is a "sharp satire of the younger generation breaking free of the stultifying hypocrisy of their parents,"(Nixon). The article also concentrates on the ending scene of the film. It discusses people's reactions to the final scene of the film. Some believe it is "an expression of love winning the day even as it faces an uncertain future,"(Nixon). The article also discussed how the final scene was one of things Mike Nichols liked most about the film. It also discusses how Nichols believes the film is not all about the "Generation Gap." The article also discusses Dustin Hoffman and how he went on to becoming one of greatest actors of our time.   

3.After reading the article my perception of the film changed a little bit. The article helped me realize more about how the film is an example of the youth rebellion and younger generation breaking free. It also helped me realize how much of an impact the film still has after have been released over 46 years ago. The article also discussed people's reactions to the end scene of the film which I myself was confused about and reading the article helped me understand it better.

4. In my opinion, I felt The Graduate was great film. It was very funny and I enjoyed it very much. The Graduate is very important in film history. It put Dustin Hoffman on the map and he went on to becoming one of the greatest of our time. The film was nominated for 8 Oscars and won the Oscar for Best Director, Mike Nichols. The film was a box office hit. It is placed at #7 on AFI's Top 100 Best Films of All Time. The Graduate was also a film that made it aware that is was a film.

Casablanca

1. In class we discussed how Casablanca is listed as #3 on AFI's Top 100 Films of All Time. We also discussed how Michael Curtiz directed the film. Curtiz won the Oscar for Best Director for Casablanca. He was also nominated for several other of his movies such as Captain Blood, Angels with Dirty Faces, Four Daughters, and Yankee Doodle Dandy. Casablanca was written by Julius J. and Philip G. Epstein and Howard Koch. We also discussed that the film was based on an unproduced play "Everybody Comes to Rick's" We also discussed the Oscars the film won such as Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and was nominated for several others. Humphrey Bogart is listed as AFI's #1 male actor. He also won an Oscar for African Queen in 1954. Ingrid Bergman is listed as AFI's #3 female actor. She also won three Oscars in her career. We also discussed some of the themes of the film such as lost love and romance within a chaotic world. Finally we discussed some of the famous quotes of the film such as "We'll always have Paris," "Here's looking at you, kid," and "I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship."

2. http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/610/Casablanca/articles.html#00
I found an article written by Scoot McGee titled "Pop Culture 101-Casablanca." The article discussed how the film became very popular in American Culture about 20 years after it came out in 1942. It discussed how a few years after Humphrey Bogart's death in 1957 a movie theatre in Massachusetts starting showing Casablanca three weeks a year. People started wearing trench coats and snap-brim hats. The article also discussed many spoofs and rip-offs of Casablanca such as "Play it Again, Sam," "Caboblanco," "Barb Wire," and "Carrotblanca." The article also discussed Rob Reiner's loving tribute to Casablanca in his 1989 film, "When Harry Met Sally," where Casablanca is mentioned and talked bout several times in the film. The article also discussed the book sequel to Casablanca "As Time Goes By," which outraged fans.

3. After reading the article I was surprised how popular the film became after it had been released for many years. I was also surprised how mays spoofs there were of Casablanca. I think I have a better understanding about how popular the film was after reading the article since there are many spoofs of it and that it became very popular in American Culture in the '60s about 20 years after it was released.

4. In my opinion, I thought it was a fantastic film. I really enjoyed it and thought the ending was great. Casablanca is in fact a very important film in film history. It is listed #3 on AFI's Top 100 Best Films of All Time. The film won 3 Academy Awards such as Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Writing, Screenplay. The film was also nominated for 5 other Oscars such as Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor. The film was very popular in American Culture. Casablanca also has many famous quotes such as "We'll always have Paris," and "I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship."

Citizen Kane

1. In class we discussed how Citizen Kane was a commercial failure when it first came out in 1941. It was almost not released, and RKO almost burned the negative. We also talked about Orson Welles and how he was only 24 years old when he started making Citizen Kane, it was the first film he ever made and he had complete control over making the film. The film was nominated for 9 Oscars and won the Oscar for Best Writing, Original Screenplay. After Citizen Kane, Welles never made any film with complete control over it. We also discussed how the film is number 1 on American Film Institute's Top 100 Best Films of All Time. The theme of the film was the search for the meaning of a man's life. We also discussed that the main character, Charles Foster Kane, is based on the life of William Randolph Hearst.

2. http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/89/Citizen-Kane/articles.html
I found an article written by Roger Fristoe titled "Why Citizen Kane is Essential. The article talks about how the film was written by Herman J. Mankiewicz and Orson Welles; however Welles tried to take all the credit for writing the screenplay. The article also mentioned all of the great things about the movie and how Kane's character was based off of William Randolph Hearst. Hearst hated the film and tried to prevent it from being seen in many theatres. However after WWII the film resurfaced in Europe and then on American Television and took its rightful place as a masterpiece in film history. The article also discussed how the film was nominated for 9 Academy Awards but only won the award for Best Original Screenplay. It also mentioned that when it won the award some people in the audience booed.

3. After reading the article my perception of Orson Welles. I didn't like that he tried to take all the credit for writing the screenplay. Herman J. Mankiewicz does deserve to be credited for writing the screenplay. I was also surprised that people in the audience booed when Citizen Kane won the Oscar for Best Writing, Original Screenplay. I also found it wrong that William Randolph Hearst tried to prevent the film from being screened in man theatres.

4. In my opinion, I felt that Citizen Kane was a great film that I enjoyed very much. I wouldn't consider it the greatest film ever made but it is a very good film. The film is very important in film history. The film questioned the meaning of life. It was nominated for 9 Academy Awards and won the Award for Best Writing, Original Screenplay. The film was very well written. It was the first film Orson Welles ever made. The film had excellent performances. It's also number 1 on AFI's Top 100 Best Films of All Time.

Gone with the Wind

1. In class we discussed Hollywood and Black Cinema. We talked about the use of black actors in film such as Bill Robinson in musicals and comedies with Shirley Temple. We also talked about early black filmmakers such as Oscar Micheaux. Then we discussed Margaret Mitchell and how she wrote the novel Gone with the Wind. It was the only novel she had published; it took her 10 years to write it; and she sold the rights of it to Selznick. We also discussed the amazing cast of the film that included Clark Gable, Vivian Leigh, Hattie McDaniel, Butterfly McQueen, Olivia De Havilland, and Leslie Howard. The film won 8 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Actress, and Best Supporting Actress. Hattie McDaniel was the first African American actress to be nominated and win an Academy Award. Gone with the Wind is ranked 4th in American Film Institute's Top 100 Best American Films of All Time. Gone with the Wind is also the highest grossing movie of all time. It's also the first movie to use a curse word; "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn," most famous line from the film.

2. http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/414427/Gone-With-the-Wind/articles.html#02
The article I found written by Frank Miller and Roger Fristoe talked about David O. Selznick and the success of Gone with the Wind. It talked about how it was called "Selznick's Folly," while it was still in production and how when it premiered in December in 1939 it amazed many Hollywood reporters and audiences. It also talked about all of the Oscars the film was nominated for and won and how it was up against many other major films that came out that year such as Stagecoach, The Wizard of Oz, Mr. Chips, and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. It also discussed the major effect it had on Selznick's career, the breakthrough it had in the use of color on screen, and the big blow it had on the production code.

3. After reading the article my perception of the film changed a little bit. Gone with the Wind was a very impressive film that went up against many other great films in the Academy Awards as discussed in the article and came out on top with 8 Oscars including Best Picture. The article helped me realize the great effect Gone with the Wind had on Hollywood films. It was the first film to use a curse word and it was also a breakthrough in the use of color on screen. The article also helped me realize the great effect the film had on independent producers.

4. In my opinion, Gone with the Wind was not only a great film but a very impressive film. Gone with the Wind is one of the most important films in film history. The film was a breakthrough in many areas of film. It is the highest grossing film of all time. It was the first film to use a curse word which led to use of adult material and la

nguage in future films. The film had a great effect on independent producers. The film also came out in 1939 which was the most competitive year in the Academy Awards. The film went up against many major titles and came out with 8 major Academy Awards including Best Picture. Hattie McDaniel was also the first African American to be nominated and win an Oscar. Gone with the Wind is also ranked 4th in AFI's Top 100 Best American Films of All Time.

Stagecoach

1. In class we talked about how 1939-1941 was the greatest period in American movie making. Other than Stagecoach many great movies came out that during that period were Citizen Kane, The Wizard of Oz, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, and Gone with the Wind. We also talked about John Ford and how he was possibly the greatest director in his time. Back then westerns weren't people's favorite type of movie to watch; they were only considered "B" movies. John Ford was not happy about directing a western; he felt it would ruin his career. Ford also didn't think John Wayne was the best choice for the leading role. During that time John Wayne was only a "B" movie actor and Stagecoach is what made him famous. After Stagecoach, Wayne worked with Ford in 23 other movies. Stagecoach had been such a success that it was the first "A" movie western and changed westerns to "A" movie status. We also talked about how Stagecoach was a metaphor for society; A society has to have law but there are people who carry a just law in themselves. Finally we talked about the Academy Awards it won such as best supporting actor and best score.

2. http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/91227/Stagecoach/articles.html

The article I found about Stagecoach talked about John Ford's relationship with the Navajo Indians of  Monument Valley that played the Indian clan that attacked the stagecoach in the film and how they were used again in other westerns by Ford and how they called him "Natani Nez" which means "tall leader". The article also discussed Yakima Canutt's famous stunt of being dragged under the stagecoach and how he did it, and also how Ford did not want to shoot it again. The article went into detail on how John Ford liked to bully many of the actors on the set of Stagecoach especially John Wayne. The article described some of the ways Ford bullied Wayne and how this was meant to provoke Wayne into giving a stronger performance.

3. After reading the article I felt it supported the way I think about John Ford as a director. John Ford liked to bully actors while making films to provoke the actors to give stronger performances. I feel that is a great thing to do as a director. John Ford cares about the actors that work in his films and tries to help them. While filming Yakima's famous and very dangerous stunt in Stagecoach Ford made it clear that even if they didn't get it on camera that they wouldn't do it again. Ford cares for the safety of actors on set and that says a lot about a director.

4. I felt Stagecoach was a very good film and one of my favorites with John Wayne. Stagecoach has a very important place in film history. Before Stagecoach, westerns were "B" movies. Stagecoach was the first "A" movie western and changed the status of westerns to "A" movies. Stagecoach was also the movie that made John Wayne famous and he went on to becoming one of the greatest actors in film history. The film was also directed by John Ford who is probably the greatest director in film history and did a fantastic job directing Stagecoach. The film also won two Academy Award: Best Supporting Actor, and Best Score.

It Happened One Night

1. In class we discussed the transition of sound into film and how by 1929 silent films were history. Many silent film stars did not survive the transition to sound. Audiences were demanding all films to be sound pictures however there were many problems with early sound pictures. In early sound pictures there was limited mobility, the sound was sometimes muffled, and the scene design was determined by the placement of the microphone. Sound was also expensive; many film companies had to pay a lot more to make sound films which to NY Banks backing the 5 major film companies, Warner Bros., Paramount, RKO, MGM, and Fox. Other than the transition to sound we also talked about the production code and censorship in film. There were many Hollywood scandals on and off film which led to a change in Hollywood films. Hollywood films were now forced to censor and make their films more appropriate. Sexual content was to be taken out or censored in films. Women were no longer allowed to reveal themselves on screen. Many actresses had to change their usual on screen attire and dress more appropriately. Many actresses also had to change their roles on screen. Actresses now played more appropriate, mature, hardworking women on screen. The production code was also created that warned audiences of content in the film and if it's appropriate for children. After censorship and the production code we talked about Screwball comedies. Screwball comedies could also be known as war of the sexes. They were comedies about the arguments and struggles between men and women. Now that women were supposed to play more mature, appropriate roles in film many actresses in screwball comedies played roles as women that were perceived to be equal or better than men. Two famous screwball comedies which we discussed in class were His Girl Friday and It Happened One Night. The two films are very famous and successful screwball comedies. The film that we watched in class was It Happened One Night. It Happened One Night was an excellent screwball comedy that was very successful and won 5 major academy awards; Best Picture, Best Director, Best Writing, Adapted,  and Best Actor and Actress. Frank Capra directed the film and several other award winning films such as Mr. Deeds Goes to Town and You Can't Take it With You. Frank Capra was an immigrant and was also in WWI, 2nd Lt. Navy. He worked for Sennett and the later directed for Columbia Pictures.    
2. http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/12648/It-Happened-One-Night/articles.html
I found an article related to It Happened One Night about the two leading actors and how they got their roles and how they felt about them. In the article they talk about how Columbia Pictures was considered to be a poor film company. The article talked about how Columbia was lucky to have Capra as a director. The article talked about how Louis B. Mayer offered the producer of It Happened One Night, Harry Cohn, an actor who has been considered to be a "bad boy"(Mayer) lately and needed to be spanked. The actor was Clark Gable. In his first meeting with Capra, Gable showed up drunk, he was very rude and angry. Eventually Capra and Gable became friends and after reading the script Gable realized the character he was hired to play was very much like himself and enjoyed making the movie. The article also talked about how Claudette Colbert was hired to act in It Happened One Night. Many other actresses had already turned down the role for the  leading actress in It Happened One Night and Colbert had already worked with Capra in For the Love of Mike which had been a disaster and she had no interest with the director again. However Colbert was being offered double the amount she usually makes to act in It Happened One Night so she accepted the role. While the movie was being filmed Colbert gave Capra a hard time and when the movie was finished she told her friends "I've just finished the worst picture in the world"(Colbert).
3. The article I found was about how the two leading actors of It Happened One Night got their roles and how they felt about their roles. I found the article to be very interesting. In the article it explained how Clark Gable was considered a bad boy back then and how he was a rude and angry person. It also talked about how he realized he was very similar to his role in the movie and I think that is why his performance was so fantastic. He was basically playing himself. The article also talked about Claudette Colbert's reason for accepting the role and her opinion of the movie. She only took the role for the money and felt she starred in the worst movie ever. I was surprised when I read about that in the article and thought it was funny how she felt she acted in the worst movie ever even though it became very successful and a fantastic film in which she won an academy award for her performance.
4. In my opinion I felt It Happened One Night was a fantastic film. The performances between Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert were two of my favorites in a film. I felt the film deserved every award it won. It Happened One Night is a very important movie in film history. During that time period screwball comedies were very popular and the type of movie everyone wanted to watch. It Happened One Night is one of the greatest and funniest screwball comedies ever made. The two leading actors of the film gave great performances and the chemistry between their characters in the film was hilarious and left many people laughing. The director of the film, Frank Capra, did an excellent job directing it and the screenplay of the film was very well written. Frank Capra was a very famous director during that era and several of his movies won best picture, including It Happened one night. The two leading actors, Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert, were two very good and very famous actors during that time period. It Happened One Night was a fantastic movie in film history with a great cast and great director.